Acting ODM Secretary General Catherine Omanyo has renewed her call for Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku to leave the party if he is unhappy with its direction.
Speaking during a public rally in Butula Constituency, Busia County, Omanyo rejected Lenku’s claims that ODM had failed the Maasai community, arguing that the community had gained from President William Ruto’s Broad Based Government.
She pointed to Maasai professionals holding senior positions in government, including Judith Pareno, Principal Secretary in the Department of Justice, Human Rights and Constitutional Affairs in the Office of the Attorney General.
Omanyo also cited officials serving under Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya, as well as other Maasai professionals appointed to principal secretary positions and state agencies.
She argued that the appointments demonstrated that the Maasai community had not been sidelined politically, contrary to Lenku’s assertions.
The ODM official further accused Lenku of turning against the party despite benefiting from its support during the 2022 elections.
According to Omanyo, Lenku secured the ODM gubernatorial ticket in Kajiado without undergoing a competitive nomination process, making his subsequent criticism of the party unfair.
“If he wants to leave, let him go alone and sink on his own. Let him not drag the rest of the Maasai community down with him,” Omanyo said.
She challenged Lenku to resign from ODM if he no longer identifies with the party, arguing that his deputy, Martin Moshisho, could take over and serve out the remainder of the governor’s term.
Omanyo described Moshisho as capable and questioned why Lenku should continue enjoying the benefits of the ODM platform while criticising and working against the party.
She maintained that ODM remains a national party open to Kenyans from all regions and social backgrounds.
Omanyo also reaffirmed the party’s support for the Broad Based Government arrangement between ODM and President William Ruto’s administration, dismissing what she described as attempts to divide the party along regional lines